The German Marshall Fund of the United States

  • Our Organization
    • About GMF
      The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) strengthens transatlantic cooperation on regional, national, and global challenges and opportunities in the spirit of the Marshall Plan.

    Transatlantic Offices

    • Washington, DC
    • Ankara
    • Belgrade
    • Berlin
    • Brussels
    • Bucharest
    • Paris
    • Warsaw
    • Alliance for Securing Democracy
  • Our Work
    • Policy
      GMF provides effective ways forward to solving today’s transatlantic policy issues.
    • Leadership
      GMF programs offer rising leaders dynamic opportunities to hone their leadership skills.
    • Civil Society
      GMF supports civil society by fostering democratic initiatives, rule of law, and regional cooperation.
    • Research
      GMF publications examine the challenges facing the transatlantic region today and offer policy recommendations to address these challenges.
    • Perspectives
      Media, blogs, podcasts, video on the issues shaping the transatlantic relationship.
  • Our Events
    • Major Conferences & Forums
      GMF brings together hundreds of policymakers, elected officials, academics, and business leaders from around the world to discuss topics from energy to migration, economics to security, urban growth to diplomacy.
    • Recent & Upcoming Events
      GMF is committed to bringing the policy community together around transatlantic topics. Learn about events in its offices and other locations around the world.
  • Our Experts
  • Stay Informed
Search
Home
  • Our Experts
  • ABOUT US
  • FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
  • EXPERTS
  • LATEST RESEARCH
  • NEWS&EVENTS
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • SUPPORT CHARHAR

The Charhar Institute

  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Founding Chairman
    • Membership
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
    • Support Charhar
  • Regions

    • All Regions
    • America
    • Europe&Middle East
    • Asia
    • Africa&Latin America
    • Indo-Pacific
  • Topics

    • All Topics
    • Public Diplomacy and International Relations
    • Belt & Road Initiative
    • The Korean Peninsula
    • Economic and Trade
    • Communication
    • Law, Culture and Religion
    • Energy, Safety and Peace
  • Experts

  • Publications

    • All Publications
    • Public Dipmacy Quarterly
    • Other books and reports
    • Charhar Public Diplomacy series
    • Charhar Newsletter
    • Charhar International Relations series
    • Introduction to Public Diplomacy
  • News&Events

    • News&Events
    • Public Diplomacy
    • Peace Studies
    • Belt & Road
    • Charhar News
    • Announcement
    • For Media
Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn
ForeignAffairs.com
  • ABOUT US
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
  • FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
  • EXPERTS
  • LATEST RESEARCH
  • NEWS&EVENTS
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • SUPPORT CHARHAR

NEWS&EVENTS

The China-Canada Online Forum was Successfully Held

January 25, 2021

Canadian Ambassador to China Dominic Barton visited the Charhar Institute

November 26, 2020

More Chinese relief materials sent to South Korea

March 06, 2020

Chinese NGO donates epidemic prevention materials to S. Korea

March 05, 2020

Han Fangming gives a send-off to Nepalese Ambassador Leela Mani Paudyal

March 05, 2020

Singapore’s new ambassador Lui Tuck Yew visits The Charhar Institute

January 16, 2020
More

Energy, Safety and Peace

Far-right wing politics spawns hate crimes, threatens China ties

April 15, 2021

Israeli election: Netanyahu vs. everyone

March 25, 2021

Law, Culture and Religion

Israel's diplomatic breakthrough in Maghreb faces challenges

December 11, 2020

Meng ruling makes Ottawa new front line between Washington and Beijing

May 29, 2020

Communication

He Wenping: Fake news fails in damaging Sino-African ties

January 31, 2019

Resistance from within the White House

September 10, 2018

Economic and Trade

Challenges for the G20 in overcoming the pandemic

November 26, 2020

Liberalization and non-interference by government will clean up Pakistan'...

July 07, 2020

The Korean Peninsula

Su Hao: Tokyo should give ground to resolve tensions with Seoul over ‘comfo...

June 26, 2019

Swaran Singh: Can next U.S.-DPRK meeting be expected?

June 12, 2019

Belt & Road Initiative

China-Africa unity sees friendship of new era

January 05, 2021

Unchangeable Commitment

February 19, 2020

Public Diplomacy and International Relations

Teaming Up Against U.S.?

April 20, 2021

Indo-Pakistan relations showing signs of improvement

March 29, 2021
More

Introduction to Public Diplomacy

Diplomatic Theory and Practice

June 21, 2018

Introduction to Public Diplomacy 2nd Edition

June 20, 2018

Charhar International Relations series

International Public Product: China and the World at the Midst of Revolut...

June 21, 2018

Power and Wealth: Economic Nationalism and International Relationships und...

June 21, 2018

Charhar Newsletter

Charhar Newsletter

August 16, 2018

Charhar Public Diplomacy series

Winning the Chinese Hearts and Souls

June 20, 2018

City Diplomacy: China’s Practice and Foreign Experience

June 20, 2018

Other books and reports

The impotence of conventional arms control

March 25, 2020

How Did Stalin Fall into the “Thucydides Trap”

February 27, 2020

Public Dipmacy Quarterly

Public Diplomacy Quarterly

August 17, 2018
More

Israeli election: Netanyahu vs. everyone

March 25 ,2021

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen during the Israeli parliamentary elections in Jerusalem, March 23, 2021. /Xinhua


Editor's Note: Dr. Wang Jin is a research fellow of Charhar Institute in China and an associate professor from Northwest University in China. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.


The vote counting for the new election is underway in Israel. It is the fourth election within less than two years. During the past two years, every election was interpreted as crucial and determining moment for Israel's political future, just as this time.

Compared with three elections before, new changes emerge in this election.

First, the division inside Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, led to internal split. Gideon Sa'ar, the steadfast opponent against Netanyahu, left the Likud and formed a new party with other right-wing politicians. The New Hope Party hopes to challenge the dominating role of Netanyahu inside the right-wing bloc. As a challenger, Sa'ar might attract some right-wing supporters from Likud and decrease the votes of Likud.

Second, the left-wing bloc is diminishing. The traditional leader of left-wing bloc, the Labor Party, might only get six or seven seats, largely due to internal frictions and competitions inside Labor Party of recent decade. Meretz, another important left-wing party, might not pass the threshold of the parliament. Meanwhile, the Joint List, which was the allies of Israeli Arab political parties and played an important role in three previous elections, came to split. The Ra'am bloc divorced with the other three blocs in the Joint List. The dissolution of the Joint List, which last March won the largest electoral showing in Arab Israeli political history – an unprecedented 15 Knesset seats – heralds a hard political season for the Arab parties.

Third, the center bloc is heavily weakened. Netanyahu's major challenger in the last three elections, the Blue and White Party led by Benny Gantz, the former chief of staff of Israel Defense Forces, might only get five or six seats in this election. Due to the poor performance and incapability to balance Netanyahu in the coalition government with Likud, Gantz was widely criticized by his supporters. Gantz's coalition partner Yair Lapid left the Blue and White Party and leads his Future Party to challenge the dominating status of Netanyahu.

Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, casts his vote during the Israeli parliamentary elections in central Israeli city of Rosh Haayin, March 23, 2021. /Xinhua


It is interesting, therefore, to look into the scenario of Israeli politics.

Netanyahu, on the one hand, becomes the major target for every politician in Israel. After serving as prime minister for nearly two decades and becoming the longest politician serving in this position in modern Israel, he maintains his allies with some right-wing and far-right-wing political parties, including Shas, Otzma Yehudit and others.

On the other hand, Netanyahu becomes the "king" in Israel and is perceived as a target by every politician who harbors the ambition of becoming prime minister. From Gideon Sa'ar to Naftali Bennett, from Yair Lapid to Avigdor Lieberman, nearly every Israeli politician treats Netanyahu as the major target. Netanyahu's corruption scandal, his management of coronavirus, his foreign policies, all become the object of attack for his political opponents.

Netanyahu, therefore, is the central topic in the election and it seems that he is fighting against everyone else.

Although the election is important for Israel's political future, it is necessary to remember that the coalition formation process is a determining factor. The election allocates the seats of Israel parliament while the coalition formation talks after the election decide who is the winner. After modern Israel was established in 1948, nearly every government was formed based on coalition formation talks, while no party was able to dominate the parliament with more than 61 seats of a total 120 seats.

Regardless of what the result of the election might be, it is not conceivable that it would provide Israel with political stability given the internal division over national identity, foreign policies and future direction. Netanyahu's new war against everyone else might be transformed into an old game that brings everyone together into a government led by himself, just like what happened in the recent decade.

Source: CGTN, 2021-03-24

Author

WANG Jin

Adjunct Fellow

Stay Informed

Don't miss our latest dynamic. Sign up to receive emailed news, events, opinion, and publication notifications.

Subscribe

Follow

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • SoundCloud
  • Instagram
Charhar Institute
  • About Us
  • Founding Chairman
  • Experts
  • Latest Research
  • News&Events
  • Publications
  • Support Charhar
  • Careers

 

"The Charhar Institute is committed to promoting progress in China’s foreign policies and the development of international relations in a more orderly manner."
- Dr Han Fangming,Charhar Chairman

CONTACT US

  • Phone:+86 10 68290431
  • Fax:010-80777830
  • Email:secretariat@charhar.org.cn
  • Facebook:The Charhar Institute
  • Twitter:@CharharINST

©2021 Charhar Institute. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use